Ward Specific Voting Referendum Discussion - Catawba County Board of Elections - July 10, 2012

The discussion this morning at the Catawba County Board of Elections entailed the Ward Specific Voting Referendum issue. Discussion details included setting the date and the language of the referendum along with time frames.

This will be a paper ballot, but the election will be counted electronically and the system must be programmed. The 45 day public notice does not have to include the specific ballot language, but can ( and most likely will) include proposed language. The State must approve the ballot design and its language. The State will look to ensure that the language is not negative towards either side.

The Council will have to adopt a resolution and submit it to the Board of Elections. The Board of Elections will inform the State that the City has adopted the resolution. Once the ballot has been created, then it is submitted to the State for approval.

Absentee ballots will be sent out 30 days before the election and the early voting process begins the third Thursday before the official election date. The Board of Elections desires that the election take place well before the deadline date in October. Walter Witherspoon interjected that the CEG requests input in the process including the wording of the ballot. As far as any confusing language David Hood stated that he doesn't expect that from the City. The CoEs role is to see that the statute has been followed. If there is a judgment call to make, it isn't theirs to make. They can express their opinion, but that is as far as they can go. The language should be kept as simple as possible to limit confusion.

The City Council may have to call special meetings to address this issue. They must give 48 hours notice before holding such a meeting and that will be posted in the paper and on the City's website. City Staff Attorney Arnita Dula stated that she has not been informed whether this issue will be on the July 17, 2012 agenda.

North Carolina General Statute

§ 160A‑105.  Submission of propositions to voters; form of ballot.

A proposition to approve an ordinance or petition shall be printed on the ballot in substantially the following form:

"Shall the ordinance (describe the effect of the ordinance) be approved?

(  )          YES

(  )          NO"

The ballot shall be separate from all other ballots used at the election.

If a majority of the votes cast on a proposition shall be in the affirmative, the plan contained therein shall be put into effect as provided in this Article. If a majority of the votes cast shall be against the proposition, the ordinance or petition proposing the amendments shall be void and of no effect. (1969, c. 629, s. 2; 1971, c. 698, s. 1.)

Another meeting with the Catawba County BoE at 8:15am

The Hickory staff attorney will be at the Board of Elections meeting Tuesday morning at 8:15 am to propose a date and ballot wording for the Referendum election. No the CEG hasn't had any input so far and yes there will be some of us present in the morning and we will let you know what happens ASAP.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- July 8, 2012

The Biggest Financial Scandal In History? - The Economic Collapse Blog - We always knew that the financial markets were rigged, but this is getting ridiculous. It is now being alleged that 20 major banks have been systematically fixing global interest rates for years. Barclays has already been fined hundreds of millions of dollars for manipulating Libor (the London Inter Bank Offered Rate). But Barclays says that a whole bunch of other banks were doing this too. This is shaping up to be the biggest financial scandal in history, and criminal investigations have been launched on both sides of the Atlantic. What those investigations are likely to uncover could shake the financial markets to their very core. In the end, this scandal could absolutely devastate confidence in the global financial system and it could potentially bring down a number of major global banks. We have never seen anything quite like this before.                    What Is Libor?    As mentioned before, Libor is the London Inter Bank Offered Rate. A recent Washington Post article contained a pretty good explanation of what that means....




The Many Ways Banks Commit Criminal Fraud - Washington's Blog - July 4, 2012 - The Libor scandal seems to be waking people up to manipulation and fraud by the big banks. There are many other types of fraud they’ve engaged in as well …
Here is a partial list:

• Committing massive and pervasive fraud both when they initiated mortgage loans and when they foreclosed on them (and see this)

• Pledging the same mortgage multiple times to different buyers. See this, this, this, this and this

• Cheating homeowners by gaming laws meant to protect people from unfair foreclosure

• Charging veterans unlawful mortgage fees

• Engaging in mafia-style big-rigging fraud against local governments. See this, this and this

• Cooking their books (and see this)

• Bribing and bullying ratings agencies to inflate ratings on their risky investments

• Pushing investments which they knew were terrible, and then betting against the same investments to make money for themselves. See this, this, this, this and this

• Engaging in unlawful “frontrunning” to manipulate markets. See this, this, this, this, this and this

• Engaging in unlawful “Wash Trades” to manipulate asset prices. See this, this and this

• Otherwise manipulating markets. And see this

• Shaving money off of virtually every pension transaction they handled over the course of decades, stealing collectively billions of dollars from pensions worldwide. Details here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here andhere

• Participating in various Ponzi schemes. See this, this and this

• Charging “storage fees” to store gold bullion … without even buying or storing any gold . And raiding allocated gold accounts

• Laundering money for drug cartels. See this, this and this (indeed, drug dealers kept the banking system afloat during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis)

• Owning and largely running the Federal Reserve … which is itself arguably a Ponzi scheme

Gloomy jobs report raises pressure on the Fed - Economy Watch - MSNBC - Roland Jones - July 6, 2012 - Friday’s disappointing June jobs report confirms observers’ worst fears about the economic recovery: The employment market is still struggling and failing to put enough Americans back to work. The dour employment data are also likely to raise pressure on the Federal Reserve to do more to bolster the economy, and have negative implications for President Barack Obama's chances of re-election in November. The Labor Department said non-farm payrolls expanded by just 80,000 jobs in June, falling just short of forecasts for 90,000 jobs, but improving slightly on a revised reading of 77,000 jobs in May. The private sector expanded by only 84,000, while government jobs declined by 4,000......                          June’s 80,000-jobs number is well below the levels seen at the start of the year, and a monthly gain of between 125,000 and 150,000 jobs is needed just to keep up with the growth in the number of new people entering the workforce each month before even starting to whittle down the backlog of nearly 12.7 million unemployed Americans.  A pace of job creation that’s not strong enough to keep up with population growth is likely to raise pressure on President Obama, endangering his chances of reelection in November....                    Coupled with recent data that show a sharp decline in manufacturing, the dour payrolls report paints a gloomy picture of the U.S. economy that analysts say is likely to raise expectations that the Federal Reserve will initiate another massive bond-buying program known as “quantitative easing,” or QE, in which the Fed essentially prints money to buy long-term mortgage or Treasury bonds. The Fed next meets to decide on monetary policy July 31-Aug. 1.....

No Jobs: The Result of Wizard of Oz Economics - Zero Hedge - Econophile - July 7, 2012 - If there is one thing we should have learned from recent data is that you can "juice" the economy by inserting more money into it because when the money works its way through the economy, certain economic data will become more positive.             This is not a difficult concept to grasp. For example, if in a hypothetical economy there is a $1 trillion money supply and then it is increased by, say, 10%, assuming that new money is spent in economic activities, GDP will ultimately rise more or less by 10% because GDP measures spending. More money equals more spending, thus higher GDP.
During this phase one might see manufacturing and consumption increase and even employment grow. This happened with QE1 and 2. However, one might ask, if money stimulus actually revives real economic growth, why did we need QE2? Of course this is the flaw in the above argument. It doesn't work.                    These naive monetary theories don't work to create real growth, they just make the numbers go up ... temporarily. QE 1 or 2 did nothing to cure underlying economic problems or create lasting real growth. If QE had worked the economists at the Fed wouldn't be scratching their heads over the current negative economic data that has been pouring out recently. Today's unemployment report is a good example of this.

State panel wants to know if Duke misled it on merger - Duke CEO’s testimony on Tuesday could spur new merger conditions - Charlotte Observer - July 7, 2012 - State law gives the seven-member commission (one seat is vacant) authority to “rescind, alter or amend any order or decision” it has made. The commission approved the $32 billion merger on June 29.                    It also decides whether to grant rate increases – both of Duke’s operating companies in the Carolinas plan to seek one this year – and at some point will be asked to let the two companies become one.
While it’s unlikely to try to dismantle a merger that took 18 months across a half-dozen jurisdictions to approve, observers say the commission could use its leverage to extract new conditions if it doesn’t like Rogers’ explanation...                               Rogers could testify that he’s the wrong man to ask – it was the board’s decision, not his. He could say that any company reserves the right to change management.                           Johnson’s severance agreement says neither he nor Duke can publicly go beyond a Tuesday press release that said the two parted ways under “mutual agreement.” That doesn’t prevent either from “providing truthful disclosures as required by applicable law or legal process,” it adds.                              Duke also faces a demand from N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper to turn over by July 31 board minutes and other documents from the time the merger was announced. Cooper made the demand after Standard & Poor’s placed Duke on a credit watch last week, after Johnson’s resignation. Moody’s, another rating service, affirmed its outlook for Duke.
On Friday Duke’s stock price fell 3.4 percent, its biggest decline since Aug. 10, Bloomberg News reported.....                        Speculation abounds about why Johnson resigned, or was pushed out, at 58. He left with up to $44.7 million in severance, pension and other benefits, according to securities filings and Duke’s calculations.                         Among the reasons floated is that Progress’ crippled Crystal River nuclear plant in Florida will cost much more to fix than the $1.3 billion Progress has estimated. Its outlook has dimmed since the merger was announced, and it’s still not known how much insurers will cover.

Debt Jubilee (Quantitative Easing ) for the Public

Hal Row's Gracious words about CEG and the Petition Drive

Members of the Citizens for Equity in Government (CEG) would like to thank WHKY radio host Hal Row for his comments this past Thursday morning in relation to the petition drive for the Referendum to change the current electoral process for Hickory's City Council.

Hal had gracious words about those who went out and accrued the 2,707 signatures that secured the rights of the Citizens of Hickory to decide how future Hickory City Council Elections will be decided. A right that was not afforded to the Citizens of Hickory when the system was changed in 1967 and a right that the current Council was unwilling to afford without the procurement of this certified petition.

We all remember and thank Hal and WHKY for having the educational interview on about the petition drive on his First Talk program back last December. Without that interview, the success of the petition drive campaign most likely doesn't happen. Hal's interview, and the details that were shared that morning, generated a lot of buzz at that time and helped put this campaign on the radar, which helped obtain hundreds of signatures. Of course the holidays and the onset of Winter slowed progress some what over the next few months, but Hal's interview was always something to point to when addressing the legitimacy of this campaign.

In that interview, Billy Sudderth gives his reasoning for the formation of the Citizens for Equity in Government and Joe Brannock was able to discuss how the current voting structure came into existence. Joe continues with the history lesson of what happened back in the 1960s that has led us to where we are today and Billy talks about some of the political maneuvering that took place at that time. Billy talks about disenfranchisement and the lack of participation that he believes is a result of the current system.

Joe talked about perceptions and how he is white, Republican and young and Billy is black, a senior, and a Democrat and we need to cast off the labels to be able to move things forward. Joe talks about how 4 people on Hickory Council in 1967 made a decision that shut out citizen participation. There is currently no entry point into the pipeline of civic service. Joe interjects that council people can represent the City of Hickory at the same time that they directly represent their ward. Citizens of Hickory don't vote on members of Congress from other districts and yet these representatives represent the welfare of the entire State of North Carolina -- and the United States.

In Hal's comments from this past Thursday, he says that what we have done with this petition drive is patriotic. He says that we didn't just complain that we went out and did something to redress our grievances. He makes a point that he isn't saying that he supports Ward Specific Voting or how others should vote, but the petition process is good democracy in action. I am biased, but I couldn't agree more.

The next step will be when the City sets the date of the election and begins writing the language of the ballot. On July 3rd, David Hood, the chairman of the Catawba County Board of Elections, asked the City of Hickory to include members of Citizens for Equity in Government in this process, but added that the City was under no obligation to do so. He also asked that the City come forth with the date for the election sooner rather than later.

The CEG has asked to participate in this process, since the CEG is responsible for the petition and feels therefore that it has a role in shepherding its guidance. Everyone certainly hopes that the City of Hickory will do the right and above board thing and not play games with this issue. The ball is in the City's court and it is their Olive Branch to extend or not extend. It will tell us a lot about how the CEG will have to proceed with this process in the upcoming days. Will this be a fair process or will we see rancor? We live in interesting times!

Ward Specific Voting Petition Certification - Catawba County Board of Elections Vote - July 3, 2012

The following is the audio of the Catawba County Board of Elections meeting of July 3, 2012. During this meeting the Hickory Ward Specific voting petition was certified. According to people I have spoken with this is the first successful petition to be brought to a referendum in the history of Catawba County, therefore this is a historic event in the history of Catawba County.

This is serious business and the City of Hickory must act upon the will of the people. There will be a special election upon this referendum. This election cannot take place until a minimum of 60 days have passed and at a maximum of 120 days after the certification and delivery of documents to the City of Hickory. City Manager Mick Berry was present and accepted and signed the document. Two more issues are that this election must take place at least 30 days prior to any Statewide or Federal Elections and the City must provide 45 days notice prior to the scheduled date of the special election, but this 45 days does not include the early voting period that is a prerequisite to any election in the State of North Carolina and is to be held two weeks prior to the scheduled election date.

In the presentation, the issue is discussed and approved from the beginning to the 6:20 mark of the audio and then the Board moves onto other business and then comes back to the discussion of the issue at the 24:05 mark and discusses the election process and other matters involving the referendum until adjournment at around the 38:45 mark. So in essence the full discussion of this issue takes a little over 20 minutes.

A Day of Independence to Celebrate - July 4, 2012

Yesterday we celebrated people participating in their governance with the success of the Petition Drive to bring adequate representation back to the people of Hickory.

Today we celebrate our nation's 236th birthday and enjoy the effort it took to achieve success in our local petition campaign and appreciate those who were at the forefront of getting the numbers and the history of our forebearers who made the ability for the common man to have a voice possible. Tomorrow we renew the American spirit of Democracy and go back to work to deliver the final goal.

God Bless America!!!

This Land is Your Land

The Star Spangled Banner

Ward Voting Petition Drive Successful on to the Election - July 3, 2012

Today history was made in Hickory and Catawba County. At 8:15am the Catawba County Election Board gathered for their regular meeting, but this meeting was special. At this meeting the Catawba County Election Board reviewed and summarily certified the Petition presented by the Citizens for Equity in Government and now we will proceed towards the special election on this issue.

This election cannot take place until a minimum of 60 days have passed and at a maximum of 120 days after the certification and delivery of documents to the City of Hickory. City Manager Mick Berry was present and accepted and signed the document. Two more issues are that this election must take place at least 30 days prior to any Statewide or Federal Elections and the City must provide 45 days notice prior to the scheduled date of the special election, but this 45 days does not include the early voting period that is a prerequisite to any election held in the State of North Carolina.

This is the game changer that I have been addressing over the past couple of years. Although this is a milestone, it is not a victory. We move forward with Humble Responsibility for the citizenry of Hickory.




CITIZENS FOR EQUITY IN GOVERNMENT COMPLETES PETITION DRIVE :
TRUE WARD ELECTIONS FOR HICKORY CITY COUNCIL TO GO ON BALLOT

Hickory , NC - July 3, 2012 - While not planned for today, it is appropriate that the Catawba County Board of Elections certified the Petition for Fair Representation on the eve of Independence Day. Over the past year, Citizens for Equity in Government (CEG) gathered the signatures of 2,707 registered voters, 6% more than required to call for a referendum election to restore Hickory City Council elections from the current modified-at-large system to a true ward system as it was in the original city charter.

“It’s a real step toward improving representative democracy in Hickory city council races,” says CEG spokesperson Billy Sudderth. “The Petition for Fair Representation is about a change in the process of electing representatives that will give the voters of every ward a stronger voice in who represents them on city council.”

In 1967, the Hickory city council voted to change from a true ward system to a modified “at-large” (or blended system) for city council. This means that each of the six wards chooses two candidates in primaries and then those two candidates run city-wide for a seat on the council to represent the ward.

CEG and the 2700+ petition signers say that this at-large system goes against the concept of fair representation by allowing voters from outside a ward to influence the outcome of elections in wards where they do not live. The true ward system promotes fair representation by promoting close ties between ward representatives and constituents, providing immediate service and direct accountability to voters, and eliminating voting blocks.

The pure ward system has been shown to increase citizen participation both in voting and in running for office. Under the current at large system voters feel disenfranchised because they know they are not the ones who are choosing their own ward representative. Candidates are forced to fund expensive city-wide campaigns, which puts the possibility of running for office out of the reach of many potential candidates. And, polls must be open for all six wards for every city-council race under the current system; polls in the pure ward system would be open for only half the wards each election cycle which would cut government spending.

A City-Wide, Non-Partisan, Volunteer Effort
Volunteers with CEG made phone calls, knocked on doors, worked polls, and had tables at events to get signatures on the Petition for Fair Representation. No city resources have been used in mounting the petition. “It’s been an educational process,” Sudderth says. “Our canvassers estimate that more than 80% of the people who were approached and understood the petition signed it.” No organized citizen group has come out to say they oppose the change. Widespread geographical and non-partisan support of the petition is reflected in the signatures of Unaffiliated, Republican, Libertarian and Democratic voters from all six wards and every precinct in City of Hickory.

The 2,707 signatures supporting the true-ward system represent more voter support than any member of the Hickory City Council has gotten in the past 10 years except for the 2005 election where the Lowe's issue was at stake.

Next Steps – Education and A Vote
The certified petition is the first step in restoring the true ward electoral system. The certified petition calls for City of Hickory to hold a referendum election where all registered voters in the City of Hickory can vote for or against the change. Or, just as City Council made the change to a modified-at-large system with their vote in 1967, the current City Council could restore the true ward system with their majority vote saving city taxpayers $47,501, the cost of a city-wide election.

“Citizens for Equity is calling on the city to move forward as soon as possible,” says Sudderth. “We need to get the referendum on the ballot and let the people decide.” A good first step, he adds, would be to put together a four-person team, two from the City Council and two from CEG, to develop the language for the ballot.

“As for us,” Sudderth concludes, “CEG will continue to educate voters on how the true ward system is more fair and more representative.” To learn more about the Petition for Fair Representation and the true-ward system, citizens of Hickory are invited to a roundtable discussion Wednesday, July 11 at 6:00 pm at Ridgeview Library, 706 1st Street SW Hickory , NC 28602.

CEG is a grassroots organization engaging in economic and social justice, educational and cultural efforts in the Hickory area. The CEG was founded to work on behalf of disenfranchised citizens in the Hickory area. CEG’s goal is to ensure participation and representation in the establishment of public policy. Contact Citizens for Equity in Government at 828-308-4669.

1961 -- A lesson in Hickory's History

1967 - How we got where we are today

The History of At-Large voting in Hickory - The HDR articles and Council Minutes Documents

Hal Row's First Talk - CEG discussion about Ward Specific Voting - The Interview

Help Bring Fair Representation Back to the City of Hickory

Mayor Wright - Hal Row - Ward Specific Elections